Review - New Mutants Classic Volume 1

With the X-Men seemingly dead after a mission in space, Professor Xavier recruits a new generation of mutants to carry on in their absence. Together these five teenagers must learn to control their unpredictable abilities while also coping with a world that fears and hates them.

New Mutants Classic Volume 1 collects Marvel Graphic Novel #4, New Mutants #1-7, and Uncanny X-Men #167, written by Chris Claremont and with art by Sal Buscema, Bob McLoed, and Paul Smith.

As the very first spin-off from the X-Men, New Mutants is notable for its diverse cast and its back to basics approach to storytelling in the x-verse. Its premise follows the original X-Men series rather closely – Xavier recruits five teenagers with special gifts for the purpose of teaching them how to control these uncanny abilities. This time around, Xavier’s intention is to help these children transition into leading normal lives rather than operating as soldiers in a war against the humans that hate them and evil mutants. Of course, trouble still manages to find its way into their lives. Before they’re even assembled as a team, they must face off against Donald Pierce and a rebel faction of the Hellfire Club as he attempts to recruit his own band of teen mutants. Then, the New Mutants must defeat a new generation of Sentinels while out shopping at a mall before coming home to a Brood-infected Professor Xavier. Finally, the team defies their mentor’s orders and lead their own search for their teammate Danielle Moonstar after she is kidnapped by the nefarious Viper and Silver Samurai.

The narratives of the stories collected here feel familiar. They’re all reminiscent of events that would occur in the pages of Uncanny X-Men. What feels different is the overall tone set forth by the cast of characters. They’re younger than the X-Men and are much more rebellious, to the point where they often question and act against Professor Xavier’s authority (which is great). Danielle Moonstar, arguably the lead in the series at this point, is strong-willed and speaks her mind. She refuses to assimilate into the team by embellishing her uniform with elements that point to her Cheyenne heritage. Her refusal to conform enrages Xavier, but she stands firm and says she’ll leave if he doesn’t bend to her will. This is in part what really establishes Moonstar as a standout. The other part is that she’s a truly layered character who is both tougher than her teammates and also the most vulnerable. She’s haunted by her abilities and feels guilty over using them, even against villains. While she projects a steely façade, she scares easily. During a Danger Room exercise where her teammates are each felled by the tasks assigned to them, Moonstar is unable to set foot into the Danger Room and instead runs away. We later see her face her fears head on, which shows her growth and tenacity. Karma and Sunspot are other standouts. The former is the oldest member of the New Mutants and acts as their field leader. She’s capable and confident, though she’s clearly suffering from PTSD as a result of traumatic events from her past. The latter often comes across as the one-dimensional team flirt, but he’s a character who has had to deal with intense racism in his native Brazil and whose home life is torn asunder by parents who cannot see eye-to-eye. He’s the most affected by a tragic event that occurs later on in this collection, which shows how deeply he feels for others. As for Cannonball and Wolfsbane, the creative team doesn’t devote much time to developing them within these first few issues. They’re less clearly defined and are used mostly for their abilities, especially Wolfsbane as her tracking abilities prove very useful in several instances.

Bob McLoed serves as the penciller for the first handful of issues from this series. His art is incredibly expressive, both in moments where characters interact with one another and in explosive action sequences. It creates a very dynamic reading experience. His work is also notable for how much effort he puts into differentiating the characters from one another. The members of the main cast are all different heights, builds, and have distinctive features. From Cannonball’s over-sized ears to Wolfsbane’s fuzzy hair, he gives them visual cues that help them to stand out. He also seems to put effort into ensuring that the characters of colour read as such. Sunspot, for instance, is drawn with larger lips, high cheekbones and a wide nose to denote his heritage as Afro-Brazilian. At times, McLoed’s work does veer a little into caricature territory, especially when it comes to Karma. There are panels where she looks a little too much like she popped off the pages of a Yellow Peril comic. When Sal Buscema takes over in issue four, these aspects are alleviated. Sunspot, Moonstar, and Karma are still obviously drawn to reflect their backgrounds, but aren’t quite as cartoonish in their depictions. Buscema’s work isn’t quite as moody as McLoed’s, but it’s just as energetic and maintains the overall high quality of the series.

New Mutants Classic Volume 1 is an effective introduction to the brand-new generation of mutants that surfaced in the early 1980s. The characters are vibrant and (mostly) multi-dimensional with powers that are admittedly more creative than the X-Men at that time. The pacing can be a bit slow at times and suffers a bit in the latter half due to the inclusion of the motorcycle-riding Team America for a couple of issues. However, the cast helps to carry the book and really manage to make you love them due to their spirit and cohesion as a team unit.

RATING: B

Review - X-Force: Assault on Graymalkin

When Cable’s abandoned ship Graymalkin is discovered floating around Earth’s orbit, S.H.I.E.L.D. and Stark Industries launch an investigation with the help of War Machine. At the same time, Cannonball leads his own expedition with members of X-Force in order to procure whatever they can that their mentor may have left behind. Given X-Force’s outlaw status, the clash between the mutants and S.H.I.E.L.D.’s task force proves to be explosive.

X-Force: Assault on Graymalkin collects X-Force #19-25 and New Warriors #31, written by Fabian Nicieza and with art by Greg Capullo.

Picking up immediately after the events of X-Cutioner’s Song, the members of X-Force is without their stalwart leader Cable and are being held captive at the X-Mansion. Cannonball convinces Xavier to led them leave and subsequently becomes the team’s new leader. While setting up their new headquarters in Camp Verde, Arizona, X-Force discovers the location of Graymalkin and teleport themselves up into space. While Cannonball and his crew contend with War Machine and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents high above the Earth, the remaining members of X-Force duke it out with the Externals. Then, Domino assembles her own ragtag band of mercenaries to take down Deadpool. For as much as Assault on Graymalkin is all about action, it’s also a collection of issues that are clearly tasked with tying up all the loose ends left by Rob Liefeld’s departure from X-Force. Truth be told, that’s not entirely a bad thing. In fact, Nicieza and Capullo prove to be a competent team that manages to elevate the quality of this book in a way that seemed nearly impossible during Liefeld’s tenure.

First and foremost, Capullo’s art is absolutely spectacular and is some of the best work from this particular era in comic books. It manages to retain the overall aesthetic of this time period, but it’s also timeless in its own way. The characters are dynamic, fresh-faced, and distinct. The action is glorious and expressive in every way imaginable. He also manages to redesign the team by giving them much more streamlined looks that aren’t quite as eyesore-ish as they were under Liefeld’s pen (Boom Boom being the exception – somehow her look worsened due to the ridiculous shoulder pads Capullo puts her in). I’m particularly a fan of the way he draws Siryn, Domino, Rictor, and Warpath. They all pop off of the page in a way that makes them all instantly recognizable.

For Nicieza’s part, he is finally able to develop the characters past being two-dimensional action figures. Most of the cast has their own unique voice and perspective, especially Cannonball, Boom Boom, and Feral. In fact, the absence of Cable gives the illusion of growth for this team and they seem more confident than ever. Story-wise, everything is very much focused on either setting things up for future issues or with concluding plot threads from previous ones. It’s not inherently bad. In fact, overall, everything is quite entertaining and engaging. Unfortunately, not a whole lot actually happens and there’s not as much development as there could have been. This is mostly due to all of the ongoing storylines, which prevented the focus from staying on X-Force. For instance, the members that get left behind on Earth when Cannonball teleports to Graymalkin don’t do a whole lot until the latter part of the arc.

X-Force: Assault on Graymalkin is infinitely more enjoyable than any singular issue from Liefeld’s brief run on the title. Capullo’s art is top notch and the quality of the writing improves greatly. It’s very much an action-oriented arc, but there’s also some growth in the characterization department. Still, Assault on Graymalkin exists in a transitory state and isn’t really the best jump on point for new readers. It all feels like it’s building towards something greater and more important.

RATING: B-

Review - X-Force Epic Collection: Under The Gun

Under the leadership of the enigmatic Cable, X-Force dedicates themselves to stopping mutant threats by any means necessary. They face off against the Mutant Liberation Front, Juggernaut, and a newly reformed Brotherhood of Mutants. Then, they must contend with betrayal after Deadpool exposes a spy within their ranks.

X-Force Epic Collection: Under The Gun collects X-Force #1-15, Annual #1, Spider-Man #16, and Wolverine #54, by Rob Liefeld, Todd McFarlane, Fabian Nicieza, and Greg Capullo.

If there’s one comic series that is viewed as being prototypical of the “extreme” nature of early-‘90s comics, it’s X-Force. Characters are dressed in shoulder pads and pockets galore, carrying guns that are disproportionately large. The excessiveness extends beyond the visuals as well. Within its first 15 issues, X-Force introduces one too many subplots and fills its pages with too many characters to keep track of. The series opens with X-Force doing battle against Juggernaut, with the help of Siryn and Spider-Man. Shortly after this, they’re attacked by the Brotherhood of Mutants and then by a task force created to bring Cable down. While all of this is going down, there’s also a side story involving the External named Gideon and his tutelage of Sunspot, Deadpool’s continued pursuit of Cable, and a flashback issue that details some of Cable’s past with his group Wild Pack. Sadly, very few of these storylines or characters have much depth. It all reads as one long toy commercial, which shouldn’t be surprising when you consider the fact that X-Force would get its own action figure line by Toy Biz. Individuals appear on page strictly to engage in action sequences and not much else. It’s not hard to believe Louise Simonson when she said, “[…]Rob really wasn't interested in the stories at all. He just wanted to do what he wanted to do, which was cool drawings of people posing in their costumes that would then sell for lots of money.”

Indeed, Rob Liefeld is the weakest link as far as contributing talent is concerned when it comes to this collection. His art is cringe-worthy and leaves me wondering how and why he was so popular to begin with. His proportions are ridiculously off in almost every panel. Men have hulking bodies with teeny tiny feet, while the women often look like they’re just a pair of floating breasts and a head (with lips that often look like swollen buttholes). His art also lacks versatility when it comes to expressiveness. Everyone looks permanently angry. Although, I suppose if I looked like a Liefeld drawing, I’d be mad all the time too. Another aspect of his style that’s always made me twitchy is that everyone looks to be in their 50s or 60s, which is odd when you consider the majority of the characters on the team are actually supposed to be either in their late teens or early twenties (Cable being the exception). Liefeld’s contributions extend beyond the art, as he’s credited with plotting as well. This undoubtedly explains why X-Force is as excessive and unfocused as it is. Bless Fabian Nicieza for trying to add some cohesion and depth to what he was given as the scripter.

Despite my harsh words for Liefeld and these early issues of X-Force, I actually see the book as a guilty pleasure. It’s so ridiculous that it’s entertaining to read. It’s a mess, but a fun one to observe. Of course, it’s not without redeeming qualities. Some of the character work is actually really engaging. Cable’s paternal dynamic with Cannonball adds layers to the team’s dynamic, while Boom Boom’s willingness to challenge authority ensures that everyone isn’t always merely following orders. Feral is an interesting character as well. True to her name, she’s unpredictable and increases the tension within the book. Siryn is another standout, though most of her growth as a character won’t occur until after Liefeld’s departure from X-Force. Story-wise, there are elements that work well. The subplot with Tolliver and Deadpool, where they expose a mole within X-Force’s ranks, is arguably the most well done. The return of the Brotherhood, this time under the direction of Toad, is also fairly enjoyable. The notion that Toad has grown out of being the snivelling sidekick to greater villains and into being a leader himself is neat, even if the overall arc itself is a bit hastily put together.

X-Force Epic Collection: Under The Gun surely qualifies as being dubbed “so bad, it’s good.” It’s overstuffed and outlandish in every possible way, but if you squint there’s a bit of heart underneath all of those damned pockets. For those who grew up in the ‘90s or may have a nostalgic obsession with this era, this collection is a perfect little nugget of trash entertainment that’s ideal for turning your brain off for a minute and just experiencing the excessiveness of it all.

RATING: C